Judge says Baylor must give Pepper Hamilton info to attorney

A federal judge has said Baylor must give information from the Pepper Hamilton law firm’s investigation into the school’s handling of sexual assault to an attorney representing multiple women in a class-action suit against the school.

The school had sought to keep the information from the investigation confidential as it faces multiple Title IX suits on behalf of women who said they were sexually assaulted while at Baylor.

It’s not immediately clear whether the documents will ever be fully public. District Judge Robert Pitman said information produced as a result of his order “shall be subject to protective orders already entered in this case when applicable.” Certain logs produced, he wrote, will be considered “classified.”

A different suit cited a letter between Pepper Hamilton and Baylor from February 2016 that said the findings and communication regarding the investigation “are in anticipation of litigation and are privileged work product.” Per the Tribune, Baylor doesn’t have to turn over communication where analysis or advice was given to attorney Jim Dunnam.

The ruling to hand over information from the investigation comes two weeks after Pitman ruled that the school must release all original copies of reports of sexual assault at the school dating back to 2003.